Learning to Survive
by Genevieve Kelly
Summary: This one-shot is a backstory about Killian and Liam after their father abandons them and forces them into servitude per request from one of my fans. This is how I feel what could have happened within the first few days as Killian struggles to understand why their father left them and how Liam is there for him. Happy Birthday, Mrs. Hook-Jones-O'Donoghue! This fiction is for you!


Learning to Survive

One-Shot

Centuries ago…

Six nights passed since sixteen year old Liam Jones and his ten year old brother Killian had been abandoned by their father onboard a rundown ship at sea captained by an old man who called himself Captain Fleming and manned by his crew. Brennan Jones, now wanted for thievery, had sold his sons to the Captain and his men in exchange for a rowboat so he could try to escape from the authorities at the port the crew had just left after getting supplies to make repairs to their ship, forcing his two boys into servitude.

Killian barely said a word and ate very little of what food was given to him once it finally sank in for him that their father was truly gone. Although Liam was scared almost as much as his younger brother was, he knew that Killian needed him to be strong for him. Having to suddenly grow up and be a man so soon made the older Jones angry, but not at Killian. He was only angry at the man who forced this upon him and the ten year old. And when he walked down into the brig one night after he had finished his chores and found Killian lying curled up into a ball tucked within a small corner of the room as he cried, Liam vowed to himself that he would protect his brother at all costs.

"Killian?" Liam stated quietly, not wanting to frighten him more than his brother already was, but when the boy didn't acknowledge he heard him except that he had stopped himself from crying so long as he was in the room with him, the sixteen year old knelt down beside the boy and gently pulled him into his arms to try to comfort him. "I promise you, brother. We're going to be alright. I swear I won't let anything happen to you. I'm never going to leave you."

"Why not?" Killian asked angrily when he finally pulled away and pushed himself back into the corner as far as he could, avoiding to look at him. "Father did. And he said he wouldn't leave. He told me not to be afraid. But it was all a lie! What did I do that was so wrong?"

The teenager shook his head sadly as he lowered his head and then answered, "You didn't do anything wrong, Killian. Why would you even think that?"

Still without looking at him, he responded in frustration, "You were always the more obedient son. I didn't always listen to him. I got into trouble too much. Not to mention that I'm the reason why Mother died."

"Don't you ever say that again," Liam immediately retorted as he grabbed hold of his brother's face to force Killian to look at him. "Do you hear me? You didn't kill our mother. She died from complications on the night you were born, but it wasn't your fault. If anyone's to blame it's God, if he even exists. As for Father, if he ever made you feel this way, then he was a real bastard, just as he now is for abandoning us. We don't need him, Killian. We can take care of each other. Do you understand?"

"I… I want to," the boy started to reply until all of a sudden they heard the crewmen above deck begin to shout and then felt the waters rock the ship as it fell under attack. "What's going on?"

Liam stood as he looked up towards the deck from the bottom of the stairs, then was thrown back against the floor, as Killian fell against the walls behind him when cannon fire struck the ship's hull and the older Jones rushed to his brother again while he cried out forcefully, "I need you to stay here. I need to you to stay where you'll be safe."

Killian quickly grabbed him by one of his wrists and leg with both hands when Liam stood again as the younger boy shouted fearfully, "No, please don't leave me! What are you doing?"

"I'm not leaving you," his brother answered assuredly as Liam pulled him into a tight hug and knelt down before him again while he pushed Killian back into the corner. "I just need to find out what's going on. I promise you I will be right back. I need you to trust me. Do you trust…?"

"We're under attack by pirates and we're all going to die!"" one of the crewmen shouted fearfully as he ran down into the holding cells, but just as he grabbed onto Liam and shoved him hard up against the wall behind him in panic, the man was knocked to the floor unconscious by a blow to the head from a broken board that came loose when another cannonball struck the ship on the port side, catching the vessel on fire while water began to pour inside.

Liam immediately grabbed his brother without hesitation and pulled him close as they rushed through the flames that rose up across the ship to climb out onto the deck where they saw a number of pirates from another ship now beside the one they were on, attacking and slaughtering the rest of Captain Fleming's crewmen still alive, though not for much longer.

The brothers Jones looked all around them while they struggled to get through the fighting and around the bodies, then made their way to the side of the ship as Liam called out to Killian again saying, "We need to jump!"

The ten year old shook his head fearfully as he responded fearfully, "I can't! I… I'm too scared. These waters are dark."

"I'll be right beside you," the older boy replied with sincerity. "Trust me."

"I'm afraid you're wrong about that boy," one of the pirates said smugly when he appeared behind them, grabbed Killian's arm tightly, then suddenly shoved him backwards hard enough through the wooden planks remaining of the side as he was knocked unconscious when his head hit and fell into the deep murky waters below.

Liam screamed out as he swiftly picked up a fallen sword belonging to one of the dead men at his feet and thrust it through the pirate's chest, then jumped into the ocean after his brother without hesitating. Finally, he rose back above the surface with Killian held tightly against him, then struggled to swim with him over to a large section of the shipwreck to help keep them afloat until they could be rescued, though deep down Liam didn't really believe a rescue was coming for them.

He laid Killian across the large plank to help keep him out of the water as much was possible, holding onto him tightly while he remained unconscious, then Liam sadly turned away from his brother's cold, slackened face and watched as what was left of Fleming's ship became consumed by fire until it finally sunk beneath the surface into the waters far beneath them.

Once it was gone, the older Jones laid his head down over Killian's chest while he continued to hold him and himself up as he tread water. Liam slowly drifted off as the coldness of the water began to claim him, with his last thoughts being filled of hate for the man who had condemned him and his brother to death the moment he sold them for no more than a rowboat.

It was some time later, just how much time passed Liam never knew, when he surprisingly awoke again and found himself lying upon the floor inside another ship's brig within one of its holding cells. He immediately turned over in search for Killian and found him lying still beside him. Still alive, but seriously injured from a gash across his forehead and a dislocated shoulder thanks to the pirate who had attacked him.

"Don't worry too much, boy," a man stated when he walked down into the brig and stood outside of the locked cell, staring coldly at Liam as he did so. "We have crewman onboard this ship who knows how to treat many wounds such as the ones your brother… assuming he is your brother of course upon seeing how protective you are of him, has sustained. My man has already begun, as you can tell from the bandage now wrapped around his arm. He should be just fine. As will you be."

Liam pulled Killian into his arms and held him, then glared up at the man now standing in front of him and asked coldly, "Who are you? Why have you spared me and my brother when you've slaughtered everyone else onboard the ship you and your men just destroyed?"

The first mate of the new vessel smiled as he answered smugly, "Not all of them. Those still alive are now a part of our crew, having given them a choice between their services to a new Captain or death. And you will not address our Captain so informally."

The man in charge of this pirate crew continued, "You will call me either Captain, or Captain Silver. Should you not do so, then you and your brother can join the rest of your friends in a watery grave."

"Those men were not our friends and we're not pirates," Liam responded defiantly. "If you're going to kill us, then do so. Our father already sold us into servitude to one man. I won't condemn Killian to the same life, just to get you to spare us."

"That isn't such a terrible idea," Silver answered after a moment of thought and turned amongst the few men standing with him. "I believe we could use a couple of slaves onboard this ship. What say you, gentlemen?"

The men all cheered while Silver smiled down upon Liam, who looked up at the Captain with fear, then immediately turned back to Killian as he awoke and struggled to sit up until his brother stopped him, pulling him tighter against his chest. The Captain and his men continued to laugh and cheer and then walked away, leaving the brothers Jones alone.

Nearly a week more passed and Killian slowly recovered within that time despite having to do chores for the Captain himself as he tormenting the youngest brother. Once again, the ten year old barely spoke a word while he struggled to come to terms with becoming a slave for yet another ship Captain, let alone a ruthless pirate.

When Killian finally walked down into the brig late into the evening after being forced to swab the entire deck of the ship on his own, then make Silver and the crew their dinner, he pulled the large key of the wall and unlocked the door to the cell his brother was locked in through the entire day in order to keep Liam from interfering so he could let him out, having been permission from the Captain to do so.

Liam immediately rushed to him when Killian fell to the floor when his pain became too much for him to stand any longer as he pulled him close once more and whispered, "You're going to be okay, brother. I promise one day we will be free."

The younger boy shook his head as he weakly responded, "I don't be... believe you. I'm not as brave… brave as you, Liam. I can't live… not like this. I don't want to."

"You just need to find yourself a reason to keep fighting," the teenager replied firmly as he took his brother's face gently in his hands to get him to look into his eyes. "To survive. For me, I fight to live for you, Killian. You're my brother and I love you, but more than that… I made you a promise that I would keep you safe. We may be in hell having to work for Captain Silver and his band of pirates, but we are still together. And I do believe that one day we will be free. Can you find the will to live again, brother?"

"I don't want to let you down, Liam," Killian said more fervently. "I will try to live for you too. And thank you, for not giving up on me."

The End


End file.
